Method for securing the nozzle portion to the body portion of collapsible tubular containers



Jan.zo,194s. Q J, BRUUN 2,434,832 V METHOD FOR SECURING THE NOZZLE PORTION T0 THE BODY PORTION OF COLLAPSIBLETUBULAR CONTAINERS Filed Jan. l1, 1943 Patented Jan. 20, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE4 METHOD FOR SECURING THE NOZZLE POR- TION TO THE BODY PORTION OF COL- LAPSIBLE TUBULAR CONTAINERS Otto Johannes Bruun, Stoke Poges, England Application January 11, 1943, Serial No. 472,033 ln Great Britain May 22, 1942 in one coherent piece by extrusion of soft metals, 5

but for purposes of economy in the use of expensive metals, they are frequently made in two separate portions of different material, the body portion comprising the tubular skirt with, in-

turned truncated shoulder made in one integral piece of soft metal such as lead or tinned lead, and the nozze portion, which must be of a material possessing superior resistance to corrosive attack, being made of tin, synthetic resin or other suitable material.

The joint between the two portions must be so intimate that evaporation and seepage is precluded, and the method of joining the two por*- tions together must be such that it leaves theinside surface of the container undamaged. This is of particular importance when the tube body is of tinned lead because the direct contact of the contents with lead would be undesirable.

A number of methods have been suggested for the joining of the two portions. posed for instance to fuse the nozzle portion to the body portion but this method is confined to nozzle portions of fusible metal or having a fusible metallic coating, such as tin or tinned lead, and is difiicult to perform. It has further been suggested to provide the body portion with flanges of various descriptions and to shape the nozzle portion with co-operating surfaces to engage with these flanges, which are then adapted to hold said nozzle portion in position by being clamped over said (5o-operating surfaces. None of these methods has proved entirely satisfactory. Clamping or bending over of anges are in themselves unsatisfactory means of joining because,

though the body is made of a soft extrudible metal, there will always be a certain inherent resilience in the material which will act in thev adverse direction of the clamping tending to bend the flanges away from the nozzle and increase the interspace between the parts. also involve damaging the body surface, which, in the case of tinned lead, discloses lead. Also, owing to unavoidable variations in the diameter and shape of nozzle portions of for instance synthetic resin, a certain proportion of the nozzle portions were apt either to become loose or fail to t into the recess provided.

Seepage of liquids, which is caused by surface tension and capillary action, can only be pre It has been pro- 25 Clamping may 45 (Cl. Ztl-148.2)

timate contact that the slightest penetration of liquid into the interstice is positively precluded.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a method of securing a nozzle portion to the body portion of a co`lapsible tubular container, by which the contact between the two portions is sufciently intimate to preclude penetration, at the interstice, of any liquid that might start capillary seepage, and at the same time to avoid causing any damage to the interior surface of the body.

According to the invention I provide .an extruded body portion of soft metal such as lead, tinned lead or aluminium, comprising a skirt with an inturned shoulder all in one integral piece. In the centre of the shoulder I provide an aperture intended to engage with the nozzle portion. The metal of the shoulder at the region surrounding the central aperture is made much thicker than normal in collapsible tubes. The normal thickness of the metal in the shoulder of a tube is between 0.2 and 0.4 millimeter, and a suitable thickness according to the present invention is between 3 and 6 millimeters. Furthermore, I provide a nozzle portion (which may be provided with a threaded portion to engage a screw cap) having a base part to engage into the hole in the shoulder. The diameter of this base part must be sufficiently larger than the diameter of the hole in the shoulder to necessitate the use of force to engage it into the hole. Both the base part and the hole may be cylindrical but it is preferable to make either the base part tapered and the hole straight, or conversely the base part cylindrical and the hole tapered. The base part is preferablyprovided with grooves, ridges or threads which may be either in the shape of screw threads, otherwise twisted or longitudinal.

The nozzle portion employed in carrying out my invention is preferably made of a harder material than the metal of the body portion, and may be either metallic or non-metallic. In certain circumstances it is possible that the body portion could be harder than the nozzle portion. It may for example be of synthetic resin, glass, porcelain, Celluloid or other suitable non-metallic substance or it may be of a suitable metal or metal alloy with or without a coating of another metal. The two portions are brought into engagement by forcing the base part of the nozzle into the smaller hole in the shoulder, whereby part of the soft metal of this shoulder will be vented if the two united portions are in such indisplaced and forced to flow into and completely fill up the threads, grooves or ridges in the nozzle base part. Thus an intimate contact is effected between the surfaces and in contrast to any clamping method, the natural resilience of the body material will now tend to tighten the contact between the portions and hold the nozzle portion rmly in, place under constant tension, so that there will be no roomv at the interface to allow any penetration of liquid or any evaporation.

By keeping the tube body portion at an elevated temperature during the assembling process,

the metal may be softened and the assembly thereby facilitated, and in addition the tension by which the nozzle base part is subsequently kept in place may be increased by the shrinking of the shoulder metal upon cooling.

The taper of either the nozzle base part or the shoulder hole is suitably of an angle of between 1 and 6 degrees with respect to the axis and the grooves or threads may be between 0.1 and 0.5 millimeter deep. Such taper is of outstanding importance, having regard to the unw avoidable tolerance in the measurements of the nozzle portion, because a variation in the diameter of the nozzle base part within the unavoidable tolerance is simply accounted for by increasing the height of the base part somewhat beyond the thickness of the shoulder metal. By employing a fixed amount ofpressure in the assembling operation which is suilicient to bring the base part into intimate contact with the shoulder metal throughout the entire surface of the hole, a slight deciency in diameterY of the base part will merely cause it to enter further into the hole, and likewise a small excess in the diameter ci` the base part will leave it slightly less through thehole. In the same manner a slight. irregularity in the roundness of the base part will be of: no material effect, due to the disguration of the shoulder metal effecting an intimate adaptation to the shape ofthe base part within any tolerance to beV accounted for in practice.

The provision of vertical flanges of they shoulder around the hole'whch will not interfere with the unrestricted engagement of the two portions is not precluded. Such flanges may either have an ornamental effect or may be bent over to provide an additional means of keeping the nozzle in place in case it should be subjected to knocks or blows which might otherwise tend to dislodge itY from its position. A flange of some what larger diameter than that of the nozzle baseY part may be provided at the end of said base part as an additional tightening means when the nozzle is inserted into the shoulder hole from inside, this flange being forced into engagement with the shoulder metal.

l No horizontal flanges on the body shoulder should be allowed to interfere with the relative movement of the two portions in the assembling operation.

A collapsibleV composite container according to the present invention may be conveniently assembled by a single pressing operation. Thus, for instance, the base part ofthe nozzle portion may be forcedinto the hole in the shoulder either from inside or from outside, by merely subjecting the body portion or the nozzle portion to an axial pressure` suflicient to elfect displacement of shoulder metal and effect an intimate contact. Inv the event of the nozzle base part being providedV with grooves in the shape ofV screw threads the assembling is performed by screwing the base part of the nozzle into the hole, whereby the threads cut their way into the soft shoulder metal.

The principle of my invention, consisting in the enforcement of a base part of a nozzle into a smaller hole in the thickened shoulder of a container body made of metal softer than the base part, so as to cause displacement of the shoulder metal and thus force it completely to ll any grooves, threads or ridges in the nozzle base part, may be applied to existing constructions of composite containers which for lack of these features have proved deficient. The shape ofthe shoulder portion may show a cross-section regularly tapered towards the outer circumference or it may be concave or otherwise shaped on one or both sides with the object of saving metal and merely providing suiiicient thickness at the region immediately surrounding the cen tral hole to provide full engagement with the nozzle base part,

In carrying out the assembling operation the portions areinserted in a press including a lower die and an upper die.v In the event that the nozzle portion is inserted into the shoulder hole from inside the tube, the lower die consists of a mandrel with a top post to hold the nozzle portion in a central position. After placing the nozzle portion the body portion is sleeved over the mandrel so that the upper part of the nozzle slips through the hole in the shoulder and the latter comes to rest on the enlarged nozzle base part. Then the upper die descends on the shoulder and forces it down over the enlarged nozzle base part until the parts are in full engagement when the upper die ascends and the completed tube is removed.

In the event of the nozzle portion being inserted into the body portion from outside, the body portion is placed on the lower die mandrel and the nozzle base part is placed over the hole in the shoulder when the upper die descends and forces the base part into the hole until the parts are in full engagement. Then the upper die ascends and the completed tube is removed. If the nozzle base part is screw threaded the portions are given a relative turning movement of a predetermined number of revolutions in the assembling operation,

According to one aspect of my invention I provide a method of locking the assembled nozzle in position and preventing its axial dislodgement without the necessity of any flanges on the shoulder. I accomplish this by making the height of the base part slightly less than the thickness of the shoulder material surrounding the aperture and inserting the base such that one or both its extremities rest below the shoulder surfaces. I then provide a projection on the assembling die which will exert an axial pressure on the shoulder metal immediately surrounding the aperture at the moment when the base part in the assembling operation has passedbeyond the shoulderv surface which pressure will squirt a portion oie shoulder metal to radially overlap the edge of the base and thus lock it in position.

VIn order that the invention may be the more clearly understood a number of embodiments thereof will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a sectional side elevation illustrating the base part of a nozzle portion about to be forced from inside the body portion into the hole in the shoulder.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the Same after the two portions have been forced into engagement.

Figure 3 is a similar to Figure 1, in which the base part of a nozzle portion is about to be forced from outside the body portion into the hole in the shoulder.

Figure 4 is a similar view of the same after the two portions have been forced into engagement.

Figures 5 and 6 correspond to, and illustrate a modification of, Figures 1 and 2.

Throughout the drawings the references la and lb respectively designate the skirt and nturned shoulder of the body portion and the references 2a and 2b respectively designate the screwed top and the base part of the nozzle portion. In the arrangement shown in Figure l the nozzle base part 2b is tapered upwardly and is pressed upwardly from inside the body portion into the hole in the shoulder Ib which is cylindrical. Said base portion is formed with longitudinal grooves as shown. For forcing the two portions into engagement, the nozzle portion is placed on a lower die 3 having on its upper surface a post 3a which engages in the bore of the nozzle portion to locate it, and the body portion is then tted over said lower die, which is in the shape of a mandrel, with the hole in the shoulder ib passed over the screwed top 2a and resting on the base part 2b as shown. An upper die 4 fits snugly on the surface of the shoulder lb and has a cut-away portion 4a to receive the screwed top 2a of the nozzle. When the upper die is pressed down the two portions will be forced into engagement as shown in Figure 2. l

In the arrangement shown in Figure 3, the nozzle base part 2b is tapered downwardly and is pressed downwardly from outside the body portion into the cylindrical hole in the shoulder Ib. In this case the body portion is fitted over the lower die 5 which is similar to the die 3 except that it has a cut-away portion 5a at the top to receive any projecting part of the nozzle base part 2b. When the body portion is in this position the nozzle portion is placed with the base part 2b resting on the hole in the shoulder lb and said nozzle portion is pressed down by means of an upper die 6. The two portions are then forced into engagement as shown in Figure 4.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a modication of Figures 1 and 2 in which the lower die 3 is formed with an upward projection 3b which engages the bottom of the base 2b and from which the loeating post 3e projects. The upper end of this projection 3b is of a diameter less than that of the bottom end of the base 2b as shown, and just below said upper end the diameter of said projection 3b is suddenly increased to a diameter greater than that of the bottom end of the base 2b, a shoulder 3c being accordingly formed. When the base 2b is pressed fully home in the hole in the Shoulder portion Ib, this shoulder 3c engages the metal surrounding the hole and squirts a portion le thereof to overlap the lower edge of the base 2b, thereby locking the nozzle in position as shown in Figure 6.

Having now described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of immovably securing the nozzle portion to the body portion of a collapsible tubular container, so that a leak-proof seal is formed between said two portions, said body portion being of relatively soft metal and said nozzle portion being of a different and harder material than that of the body portion, which comprises forming said body portion with an nturned shoulder which has a central aperture completely through it and whose thickness increases towards the centre to at least three millimeters at the edge of said aperture, forming said nozzle portion with an extended base whose cross-section is larger than said aperture, heating said body portion to a temperature whereby said aperture is expanded and the surrounding metal softened, forcing said base into said aperture, whereby said aperture and the surrounding metal is further expanded, and cooling saidbody portion.

2. A method of immovably securing the nozzle portion to the body portion of a collapsible tubular container, so that a leak-prooi seal is formed between said two portions, said body portion being of relatively soft metal and said nozzle portion being of a different and harder material than that of the body portion, which comprises forming said body portion with an nturned shoulder which has a central aperture completely through it and whose thickness increases towards the centre to at least three millimeters at the edge of said aperture, forming said nozzle portion with an extended base whose cross-section is larger than said aperture, and which. is of taper formation, heating said body portion toa temperature whereby said aperture is expanded and the surrounding metal softened, forcing said base, from its smaller` towards its larger end, into said aperture, whereby said aperture and the surrounding metal is further expanded, and cooling said body portion.

3. A method of immovably securing the nozzle portion to the body portion of a collapsible tubular container, so that a leak-proof seal is formed between said two portions, said body portion being of relatively soft metal and said nozzle portion being of a different and harder material than that of the body portion, which comprises forming said body portion with an nturned shoulder which has a central aperture completely through it and whose thickness increases towards the centre to at least three millimeters at the edge of said aperture, forming said nozzle portion with an extended base whose cross-section is larger than said aperture, forcing said base into said aperture beyond the edge of said aperture by means` of an assembling die, and simultaneously, by means of a projection on said die exerting axial pressure on the shoulder metal immediately surrounding said aperture so as to squirt a portion thereof over the edge of said base, the crosssection of said base being so much larger than said aperture that the said forcing of said base into said aperture causes an expansion of said aperture and the surrounding shoulder metal whereby said base is held and sealed in said aperture by the resilient tension of the entire shoulder metal.

4. A method of immovably securing the nozzle portion to the body portion of a collapsible tubular container, so that a leak-proof seal is formed between said two portions, said body portion being of relatively soft metal and said nozzle portion being of a diierent and harder material than that of the body portion, which comprises forming said body portion with an nturned shoulder which has a central aperture completely through it and whose thickness increases towards the centre to at least three millimeters at the edge of said aperture, forming said nozzle portion with an extended base whose cross-section is larger than said aperture, and which is of taper formation, forcingV said base, from its-I smaller towards its larger end,A intosaid aperture beyond the edge: of said aperture by means of an assembly die, and simultaneously, by means of a projection on. said die, exerting axial pressureon the shouldery metalV immediately surrounding said aperture so as to squirt a portion thereof over the edge of said base, the cross-sectionof said base. being so much larger than said aperturevthat the` said forcing of said base into said aperture. causes a: progressive expansion of said aperture and the surrounding metal whereby said base is held4 in said aperture by the resilient tension of said surrounding metal.

5 A method of immovablysecuring the nozzle portion to the body portionl of a collapsible tubular: container, so that a leak-proof seal is formed between said two. portions, said bodyportion being. ofrelatively soit meta1 and said nozzle porthe centre to at least three millimetersy at the; f

edge oft said aperture, forming. said-nozzle'portiorr with an extended base Whose cross-section is larger than said aperture, forcing said base intol said aperture beyond the edge of said aperture and exerting axial pressure on the shoulder metal 8.. immediately surroundingl said. aperture so, as to squirt a portion thereof over the edge of said base.

OTTO JOHANNES BRUUN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,519,010 lteznor- Deo. 9, 1924 1,575,567' Geake Mar. 2, 1926 1,590,853 Rohland June 29, 1926 1,853,028 Aronson Apr. 12, 1932 1,870,903 Giesler Aug. 9, 1932 1,921,021 Bungay` Aug. 8, 1933 1,935,100' Pauli et a1 Nov. 14, 1933 2,122,325 Rumball June 28, 1938 2,126,814 Rest Allg; 16, 1938 2,134,119 Franz Oct. 25, 1938 2,167,654 Hotheisall Aug. 1, 1939 2,227,440 Church Jan. 7, 1941 2,246,123v Bruun June 17, 1941 2,274,173 Temple Feb. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 433,093 Great Britain Aug. 8, 1935 

